Helicopter World Cup 2018 : skilful slalom in Russia
Konakovo airdrome in the Tver region of Russia (RUS) successfully hosted the Russian Open Helicopter Championship, followed by the 1st stage of the Helicopter World Cup 2018 on 19th and 20th May 2018.
The Russian Open took place from 16th to 18th May 2018, featuring a total of 31 crew who represented 4 countries (Belarus, Poland, Ukraine, Russia). Crews competed in the four challenging disciplines of Navigation, Precision, Fender Rigging and Slalom, with new rules approved by FAI Rotorcraft Commission (CIG).
Following the Russian Open, qualification flights for the Helicopter World Cup 1st round took place on 18th May. Changeable weather and a high number of participants meant that the crews had just one single opportunity to fly and qualify. Two strong crews from the 2017 World Cup didn’t make it through to the finals, providing a good opportunity for different teams to advance.
The two classes - General and Masters - were given equal weighting last year, following regulation amendments which aimed to open up the sport to a wider audience. The General class is open to all but the top 6 teams from the previous year.
The 2-person crews participated in Parallel Slalom and Fender Slalom races. The results of both races combined to give each crew’s final ranking. A total of 23 crews from 4 countries took part in the competition: the General Class included 16 crews and there were 23 crews in the Masters Class.
Participants from all four represented countries won medals in the General class: Belarus (BLR) and Russia (RUS) each gained 1 gold, with Poland (POL) and the Ukraine (UKR) both gaining one silver and one bronze medal.
It is hoped that the success of these two competitions will encourage participation from other FAI member countries.
Results of the 1st round of the Helicopter World Cup 2018
General Class
- Deregus Mikola - Dovzhenko Oleksandr (UKR)
- Mus Maria - Malec Jacub (POL)
- Szamborski Marcin - Szamborski Michal (POL)
Masters Class
- Yablokov Yury - Podoinitsyn Konstantin (RUS)
- Laptseu Mikita - Kurs Uladzislau. (BLR)
- Orekhov Andrey - Sazonov Vadim (RUS)
See below for detailed results.
Media
Helicopter World Cup 2018
- 53rd Russian Open Helicopter Championship - World Cup 2018, 1st Stage - Konakova, RUS, 16-20 May 2018
- 2018 Heli UK Expo Cup (Forming a leg in the World Helicopter Races Cup 2018) - Wycombe Air Park, GBR, 14-16 June 2018
- 2018 Helicopter World Cup Stage 3 Poland - Pryzlet, POL, 27-30 June 2018
- 4th stage of Helicopter World Cup - Minsk, BLR, 26-29 July 2018
Photo credit: Natalia Sotnikova
